Photo By Tech. Sgt. Lonnie Wiram | U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Kent A. Lundy, a chaplain from the 181st Intelligence Wing,...... read more read more
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HULMAN FIELD AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Ind. - The chaplain for the 181st Intelligence Wing recently had the opportunity to represent all chaplains throughout the entire Air Force during several events at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway – a place well known to Racer nation.
This past July, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Kent A. Lundy, the chaplain for the 181st Intelligence Wing, was invited to deliver the invocation at the NTT Data IndyCar Gallagher Grand Prix, and the NASCAR Xfinity Series Pennzoil 150 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana.
“I was humbled and in shock that I was asked to deliver the invocation at [the] IMS,” said Lundy. “I remember watching the Indy 500 on TV as a kid and thinking how great it would be to be there. Now, here I am, praying to the holy in front of thousands of people. I am truly blessed, and if I wasn’t a chaplain, I probably never would’ve got the opportunity.”
The reason for Lundy’s newfound fame was to highlight a recent change to the Air Force Chaplain Candidate Program. The program offers college seniors (in any degree program), seminary, and other professional religious school students the opportunity to see if their background and experience align with commissioning as an Air Force chaplain.
Air Force chaplains are religious ministry professionals who support the spiritual resilience of Airmen all over the world.
“The program has been around for years, but it recently opened the enrollment to full-time college seniors,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Kent A. Lundy, 181st Intelligence Wing chaplain.
Under the program, eligible full-time college seniors would attend Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama in the summer and become a second lieutenant upon graduation. They must then enroll, if not already, in theological education (such as seminary) full-time.
“During the summer break, the candidate will spend up to 24 days on active duty orders at any Air Force base around the world to shadow the chaplain corps there,” said Lundy. “Then the candidate returns to school in the fall to continue their school.”
This process can take up to six years depending on the length of the theological education.
When the candidate graduates, they have the option to become an official Air Force chaplain, or they can walk away from the Air Force and continue their civilian ministry – no harm, no foul.
“It is an incredible program to be a college senior and a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force,” said Lundy.
Indeed, Lundy is passionate about being a chaplain and wants everyone to have the opportunity to serve and minister.
“Being an Air Force chaplain is the greatest job in the Air Force,” said Lundy. “I love making an impact in our Airman’s lives and their families’ [lives]. I am overjoyed about this program and want as many people as possible to know about it.”
To learn more about the Air Force Chaplain Candidate Program, visit https://www.afrc.af.mil/About-Us/Chaplain/Chaplain-Candidate/.
| Date Taken: | 09.10.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 09.11.2022 18:02 |
| Story ID: | 429040 |
| Location: | TERRE HAUTE, IN, US |
| Web Views: | 137 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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